Display stand



J March 24, 1931.

F. B. HANDEL DISPLAY STAND Filed July 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IEF. l-

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DI SPLAY STAND Filed July 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES FRED B. HANDEL, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO DISPLAY STAND Application filed July 26,

My invention relates to portable folding display stands or racks, designed primarily, perhaps, for arrangement and support of flowers at funerals, but equally adapted to the exposure to public view of fruits, vegetables and other articles of merchandise in the sales room.

To this end, I include, in one combination, a series of what may be termed independently folding units, of varying graduated heights, each adapted to support a tray or shelf, by means of which the flowers can be conveniently and securely arranged in bank or pyramid form, and with the maximum of economy in space.

For storage and transportation purposes, my stand will fold into a very compact space as compared with its capacity in open or operative position.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of my .device in open or operative position; Fig. 2 is a top plan view in the same position; Fig. 3 is an end view in the same position; Fig. 4 is a side view of the device in folded position; Fig. 5 is afrag mentary view, partiallyin section on line 55 Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a similar View on line 66 Fig. 1.

The drawings of my application show only three units, A, B and C, and this description will, of course, be limitedthereto, although the principlemay be extended indefinitely to additional units. Also, inasmuch as the two sides of my device are identical in construction, a description of one side will sufiice.

In the construction of my device, I use, in efiect, two upright standards (preferably of angle iron) on each side (four in all, oneat each corner) for each unit, each intermediate standard, however, being common to the two adjacent units. In other words, standards a and I) support unit A; standards 6 and 0 support unit Bb being common to units A and B; standards 0 and d support unit Cc being common to units B and C. As will be seen by the drawings, these standards are of varying graduated heights. l Each of these standards a, b and a (being all'but'the'rear one 'd) is provided, adjacent of locking the device in open or operative p0 1929. Serial No. 381,259.

its lower end, with a longitudinal slot at, I) and 0', respectively; and the standards 0 and (Z (being the rear one and the first intermediate one from the rear) are each provided with a similar slot 0 and d, respectively, at a substantial distance above its vertical center, and approximately on the same horizontal plane as the top of unit B.

The cross bar or link 1 is swingingly connected at its upper end with the standard a, as at 2, and its lower end is loosely connected with the lower end of cross bar or link 14, and the two are jointly slidably mounted in slot Z), as at 3.

The cross bar or link 4 is swingingly connected at its upper end with the standard I), as at 5, and its lower end is slidably mounted in slot a, as at 6.

These two bars or links are also loosely connected adjacent their centers, as at 7. V

The cross bar or link 8 is-swingingly connected at its upperend with the standard I),

' as at 9, and its lower end is slidably mounted in slot 0, as at 10. Y The cross bar or link 11 is swingingly connected at its lower end with the standard d, as at 12, and its upper end is slidablymounted in slot 0", as at 13. r

The long cross bar or link 14 is slidably mounted at its upper end in slot cl, as at 15, and, as stated above, its lower end is slidably mounted, jointly with bar or link 1, in slot 5, as at 3. a a

Bar or link 14 is also loosely connected with bar or link 8, standard 0 and bar or link 11, as

.at 16, 17 and'18, respectively.

Swingingly mounted upon standard 6, in I the same horizontal plane as the top of stand corner with the depending lug or spur 21 (Fig. 5) adapted to engage the opening 22 in the upper end of standard a, for the purpose sition.

A similar member 23 is similarly mounted,

' by means of bracket 24, upon the standard a,

in the same horizontal plane as the top of 25 adapted to engage the opening 26 in the upper end of standard Z).

Also, a similar member 27 is similarly mounted, by means of bracket 28, upon the standard 0 at the top thereof, and provided with the lug or spur 29 adapted to engage the opening 30 in the upper end of the standard (Z. This member is mounted upon standard 0, and adapted to swing -rearward, to permit of more compact folding, as may be clearly seen in Fig. 4.

Each of these U shaped members 20, 23 and 27 is provided with a tray or covering of any suitable kind, such, for instance, as interwoven wire 20, 23 and 27. Fig. 2.

The cross bars 31, 32, 33 and 34, shown in Fig. 3, are designed merely as connecting bracesor elements.

'It is obvious that the relative positions of the slot and'the' swinging connection points on each standard (for instance, 6 and 5 on standard 6) may be reversed without in any wise'aifecting the operation of the device.

Assuming that the device is in open or operative position, and that it is desired to close the same, members 20 and 23 are swung uppermitting standards I) and 0 to approach each other; and links 11 and 14 will move up wardly in slots 0 and d, respectively, permitting standards 0 and cl to approachv each other.

Thus the device is completely folded in convenient and compact form for handling or moving.

I claim:

1 A-foldingstand, comprising a plurality of standards on each side, certain of said standards each having a slot adjacent its lower end only, others each having a slot both adj acent its lower end and above its center, and still others each having a slot above its center only; a plurality of" diagonally disposed links connecting said standards, certain of said links each having one end swingingly connected with one of said standards and the other end slidably mounted in a slot in one of the other standards, and others having er end only, others each having a slot both adjacent its. lower end and above its center, and still others each having-a slot above, its center only i a plurality of di gonally disposed links onne ting said s a dards, certain of said.

links each having one end swingingly connected with one of said standards and the other end slidably mounted in a slot in one of the other standards, and others having each end slidably mounted in a slot in different ones of said standards; each of said links being also loosely connected with each of the other links which it crosses and with each of the standards which it crosses.

3. A folding stand, comprising a plurality of standards of varying graduated heights on each side, certain of said standards each having a slot adjacent its lower end only, others each having a slot both adjacent its lower end and above its center, and still others each having a slot above its center only; a plurality of diagonally disposed links connecting said standards, certain of said links each having one end swingingly connected with one of said standards and the other end slidably mounted in a slot in one of the other standards, and others having each end slidably mounted in a slot in different ones of said standards; each of said links being also loosely connected with each of the other links which it crosses and with each of the standards which it crosses.

4. A folding stand, comprising a plurality of pairs of standards, certain of said standards each having a slot adjacent its lower end only, others each having a slot both adjacent its lower end and above its center, and still others each having a slot above its center only; a plurality of diagonally disposed links connecting said standards, certain of said links each having one end swlnglngly connected with one of said standards and the other end slidably mounted in a slot in one of the other standards, and othershaving each end slidably mounted in a slot in diflerent ones of said standards.

5. A folding stand, comprising a plurality ofpairs of standards,certain of said standards each having a slot adjacent its lower end only, others each having a slot both adjacent its lower end and above its center, and still others each having a slot above its center only; a plurality of diagonally disposed links connecting said standards, certain of said links each having one end swingingly connectedwith one of: said standards and the other end slidably mounted inv a slot in one of the other standards, and others having each end slidably m'ountedain, a slot in different ones of said standards each, of said links being also loosely connected with each of the other links which it crosses and with each of the standards which it crosses.

6. A folding stand, comprising a plurality of standards on each side, certain of said standards and the other end slidably mounted in a slot in one of the other standards, and others having each end slidably mounted in a slot in different ones of said standards; each of said links being also loosely connected with each of the other links which it crosses and with each of the standards which it crosses.

7. A folding stand, comprising a plurality of pairs of standards of varying graduated heights, certain of said standards each having one slot and others each having two slots; a plurality of diagonally disposed links connecting said standards, certain of said links each having one end swingingly connected with one of said standards and the other end slidably mounted in a slot in one of the other standards, and others having each end slidably mounted in a slot in different ones of said standards.

8. A folding stand of the class described comprising in combination a plurality of vertically disposed corner posts arranged in pairs, braces arranged between the members of each pair of corner posts for holding them in fixed relation, each of said posts being provided with an elongated slot, a plurality of pairs of diagonally disposed pivotally interconnected links, one end of each link of each pair having a fixed pivotal connection with a corner post of one of the pairs thereof and a slidable pivotal connection with the slot of the corner post of the adjacent pair, whereby the pairs of corner posts are movable into expanded and contracted positions in parallelism with each other by means of said diagonal links, and a shelf pivotally mounted on one pair of said corner posts and adapted to form interlocking engagement with the other pair when said stand occupies expanded position.

9. In a folding stand of the class described, the combination of a plurality of inverted U-shaped members, the vertical members of I which form corner posts and are provided with elongated slots, reinforcing braces extending between the corner posts of each U-shaped member near the lower ends there of, a pair of cross links pivotally interconnected intermediate their ends and diagonally extending between the corresponding corner posts of said U-shaped members, one end of each link having a fixed pivotal connection with one of the corner'posts of one of said U-shaped members, and the other end of eachlink having a sliding pivotal connection in the slot of the corresponding corner post of the adjacent U-shaped member, whereby said U-shaped members are movable in parallelism relatively to each other by means of said cross links, and a shelf pivotally mounted on the horizontal portion of one of said U-shaped members and movableinto horizontal plane into interlocking engagement with the horizontal portion of the other U-shaped member for locking the stand in expanded position.

10. In a folding stand of the class described, the combination of a plurality of inverted U-shaped members, the vertical portions of which form corner posts, two of said U-shaped members being of the same height and the third U-shaped member being of considerably less height, each corner post being provided near its lower end with an elongated slot, a pair of diagonally disposed links arranged to each side of said high U-shaped member, each pair of links being pivotally interconnected and having their upper ends pivotally fixed to the corner posts 01 the high U-shaped members, horizontally disposed pins slidably mounted in the vertical slots of said corner posts, the lower ends of said links being pivotally mounted on said pins, and a pair of pivotally interconnected diagonal links having their upper ends pivotally connected to the corner posts of the intermediate high U-shaped member and of the low U-shaped member and having their lower ends pivotally mounted on said pins, the ends of the links engaging the pins of the corner post of the intermediate U-shaped member having a common axis whereby all of said U-shaped members are moved in unison and in parallelism with each other, a shelf pivotally mounted on the horizontal portion of the low U-shaped member and adapted to engage the corner posts of the intermediate U-shaped member, and a shelfv pivotally mounted on the horizontal portion of said intermediate U-shaped member and adapted to engage the horizontal portion of the adjacent U-shaped member, whereby said shelves lock said U-shaped members in expanded positions.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRED B. HANDEL. 

